We got up early and got breakfast at McDonalds--gross, but fast. The place was vacant at 8am. We knew why a few minutes after we left; there was an beginningless line on Wasatch blvd lining up to Little Cottonwood Canyon. We later found out that the road was closed at 6am, but we waited for 45 minutes before traffic really started to move. Jeremy took a nap in the front seat.
We pulled into the parking lot at about 10:15am--an hour late! If there's anything on the planet that gets me excited, it is the crack, rumble & echo of avalanche cannons. I was jumping in my ski boots in the parking lot like a 5 year old--impatient for B-Lo to get his gear on. The snow was falling fast, and I had my gear on & ready to go in an instant.
Rumor had it that there was 17" overnight, and it didn't let up at all anytime all day. If we got less than 20", I'd be surprised.(Official storm report says 18")
We jumped on Collins-- Ballroom/Baldy Shoulder was closed despite numerous slides from the chutes above on Mt. Baldy's peak, so we crossed immediately over to the sugarloaf side, dropping into fresh off the traverse, and took several runs along that lift. Once the Greeley gully opened, I dropped in, B-Lo and JR behind me. We had to pole for a while, and this had JR yelling explicatives....he fiercely loathes poling. I got a little ahead of them, and somehow B-Lo lost both of us. JR went Bugs Bunny in some deep powder, and inhaled some snow. Someone helped dig him out, after letting go of a pole. He had to rake the apparently 4ft deep snow with a ski to find his pole. Meanwhile, I waited, saw him, and dropped through a chute. Face shots like crazy. I took a tumble and got back up, lapping up the expanses of fresh snow. "Is there snow out there?" someone in the lifeline behind me joked.
We headed over to Catherine's Area and found some tree-bowl combinations. This place is phenomenal, and we could've spent all day there, but the shots right along the lift line were calling my name. We went back and went slightly skiiers left of the Supreme lift line. I dropped down one of the steepest chutes I've ever had the balls to ride, and was rewarded by some fresh turns below the neck. I saw a small rock face off to the right near some trees and decided to jump off it. I did, but there was less cushion than I expected, and bailed on the landing. I left some nice scratches on the bases of my rented Atomic Metrons. I'm getting real powder boards next time.
I think JR liked it a little more than he acknowledged, despite his Copper Mountain fetish. His main qualm was the fact that it was difficult to get around with some of the flat spots.
JR and I found B-Lo as we were on our first lift up Supreme. He budged up the line to find two people without a third and we took my favorite line--No. 9 to the White squaw notch. That place looks flatter and flatter each time I ski it--I charged through it this time.
It was lunchtime, and JR needed food. He planned on not seeing us again, and we took one last run off Catherines before heading back to the Collins side, since the ballroom had just opened. We hit the top of Sugarloaf and were almost blown to the ground. The traverse back to Collins was closed, so we went to the bottom of Sugarloaf and grabbed the surface lift back. JR thought this thing was the best thing since sliced bread. I spent most of the ride trying to skate faster, but my legs were getting fatigued.
Ballroom had already been tracked. Later on, B-Lo and I hit collins and once we neared the top of the lift, we saw Jeremy skiing deep stuff under the liftline. We met up with him and skiied some steep trees, still hitting plenty of knee deep+ pow.
JR decided after a few more runs that he was done. I came and sat with him for a while outside to rest while B-Lo did another run. I didn't see him when he came down, so I took a run over to High Rustler. Even at 2:30, it was still powdery & soft--and challenging as always, especially given the condition of my legs. There was another guy pretty close to me that looked like he was hurting as bad as me. We could only take a few turns at a time going down--he mentioned that it wasn't such a great idea to be riding it this late in the day, and although I agreed, this is the run you can't miss at Alta--a 1000ft+ vertical sustained at 44degrees...
JR decided after a few more runs that he was done. I came and sat with him for a while outside to rest while B-Lo did another run. I didn't see him when he came down, so I took a run over to High Rustler. Even at 2:30, it was still powdery & soft--and challenging as always, especially given the condition of my legs. There was another guy pretty close to me that looked like he was hurting as bad as me. We could only take a few turns at a time going down--he mentioned that it wasn't such a great idea to be riding it this late in the day, and although I agreed, this is the run you can't miss at Alta--a 1000ft+ vertical sustained at 44degrees...
I found B-Lo after that run, and we spent my last few runs doing loops with B-Lo on the top half of Collins on the steeps & trees. I was still flying through sections where the snow was deeper than my knees. My legs couldn't handle more than a few turns at a time, and I fell a couple times, quads atrophied from the day of intense skiing.
I finally gave up and took my last run into Wildcat base. The snow was still falling so hard that you could barely see the top the High Rustler.
I finally gave up and took my last run into Wildcat base. The snow was still falling so hard that you could barely see the top the High Rustler.
